Templates and records · FSSC 22000 · Clause 2.5.9
FSSC 22000 line clearance and quality control record
Every start-up and every product changeover leaves the line free of residues, labels and packaging from the previous run. FSSC v6 made it a requirement.
In one sentence
The FSSC 22000 line clearance and quality control record documents, at every start-up and product changeover, that the line is free of previous product, packaging and labels before production begins, and records finished product quality parameters and quantity control, as the quality control additional requirements in clause 2.5.9 of Version 6 require.
- Where the standard requires it
- FSSC 22000 · Clause 2.5.9 Clauses beginning with 2.5 are additional requirements in Part 2 of FSSC 22000 Version 6; those of ISO 22000:2018 are explained in their own templates.
- Type of information
- Mandatory record Record to be retained (FSSC 22000 v6, 2.5.9)
- Who fills it in
- Line leader or designated operator Verified by the shift leader or quality before the start-up is released
- When
- At every start-up and changeover Quality and quantity checks at the frequency in the plan
- How long it is kept
- Set by the organisation ISO 22000 requires documented information to be retained without setting a period. It is sensible to cover the shelf life of the product with a margin, the applicable law and the three-year certification cycle.
What the standard requires
What FSSC 22000 demands and what it leaves to your judgement
With Version 6, FSSC brought in quality requirements alongside food safety ones. It requires quality parameters to be set in line with finished product specifications, a quality control process to verify them, and line start-up and changeover procedures that prevent mix-ups of product, packaging or labels.
It also requires quantity — weight, volume, number of units — to be controlled against what is declared and against legal and customer requirements.
A label from the previous product left on the line is one of the most frequent causes of recalls for undeclared allergens, which is why line clearance is also a food safety measure.
Structure
Fields the template should include
- Line, date and time
- Outgoing and incoming product
- Check that product, packaging and labels have been removed
- Check of the incoming product's label and packaging
- Release of the start-up: who and when
- Quality parameters checked and result
- Quantity control: sample, mean and deviation
Example
Example: product changeover at a fictitious sauce plant
Company, people and figures are fictitious: the example only shows what a properly completed record looks like.
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Line | Line 3 · 7 October 2026 · 14:00 |
| Changeover | Cheese sauce (milk) → barbecue sauce (no milk) |
| Clearance | Cheese sauce labels, lids and jars removed and counted · hopper empty |
| Incoming label | Barbecue sauce · version v5 · batch and best-before correct |
| Release | Shift leader · 14:25 |
| Quality | Viscosity, colour and pH within specification on the first jar |
| Quantity | 20 jars · mean 452 g (declared 450 g) · none below the limit |
At the audit
Mistakes auditors commonly flag
- Leftover labels from the previous product left in the printer.
- Start-up with no signed release.
- Quality parameters unrelated to the specification.
- Quantity control with no statistical criterion.
- Quick product changeovers that skip clearance.
In Kimobox
How this record is kept in Kimobox
- 1Line clearance is recorded on the terminal at every changeover, and production is not released without it.
- 2Quality parameters are recorded against the specification agreed with the customer.
- 3An out-of-specification result opens an incident and blocks the batch.
- 4The results feed the batch certificate of analysis without transcription.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask us before getting started
What is line clearance?
The check, before start-up or after a changeover, that no product, packaging, label or documentation from the previous product remains on the line that could get mixed up with the new one.
Why a quality requirement in a food safety scheme?
Version 6 extended FSSC to product quality, and many quality failures — a swapped label — are also food safety failures.
What is checked on quantity?
That the actual content meets what is declared and the legal and customer requirements, with defined sampling and criteria.
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Sources
Where each figure comes from
References to the official text in force. If a standard is revised, this page is updated and the review date says so.
- FSSC 22000 Version 6 — Scheme requirements (Part 2, additional requirements) Foundation FSSC · Published 31 March 2023